Review of GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE: Kickass and Kinetic Kaijus!

March 29, 2024

Kong was thriving well in Hollow Earth, able to fight off his enemies. However, he was lonely, longing for contact with his own kind. An ongoing infection of his left upper canine tooth was not helping the situation.  Meanwhile, Godzilla was "helping" humans control the havoc wreaked by other irradiated Titans on the surface. His latest "mission" was subduing the crab monster terrorizing Rome. After his victory, Godzilla took a victory nap in the Coliseum. 

While Kong was on the surface seeking dental help from his human friends, Godzilla was awakened by signals originating from Hollow Earth. These same signals were also perceived by Jia (Kaylee Hottle), adopted daughter of lead scientist Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). She led an expedition into Hollow Earth, together with her veterinarian friend Trapper (Dan Stevens) and podcast host Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) to seek out the source. 

The first Godzilla - Kong collaboration project "Godzilla Vs. Kong" (2021) was released during the pandemic, streaming on HBO Go (MY REVIEW). Because of this, most people were not able to appreciate the full expanse of Hollow Earth and the gigantic Titans as designed and executed when they watched it on small gadgets. Now for this sequel -- do watch this on the biggest screens, in 3D IMAX if possible, for best possible viewing experience.

With a predictable story to tell, the film came to life only when Godzilla and Kong were on the screen. The annoyingly whiny human characters were mainly there for comic effect and to up the fear factor. We also meet new gigantic creatures discovered in a deeper subterranean world, including a mythic insect kaiju in an extended cameo. I am not exactly a fan of the design of the brown-furred baby ape at first, but he grew on me as the film went on.

Like the first film, it was still shown how Kong was very much dependent on the help of his human friends, like the extraction and instant implantation of a replacement, and their miraculous management of severe frostbite injury. Basic medical principles were ignored (you can't implant on infected tissue, among others), but then again, I guess no one really cares about these things in a popcorn adventure film like this, as long as it delivers the thrills. 7/10.   

Vivamax: Review of RITA: Messed-up Melodrama

March 23, 2024

Former bar girl Rita (Christine Bermas) just married Ariel (Victor Relosa), but he immediately had to fly to work abroad in Saudi Arabia. Ariel worked as a driver for a rich Arab man (Sahil Khan), who began to make a move on him. Rita began to entertain Ariel's best friend Royce (Josh Ivan Morales) when he made his move on her. Rita's gay younger brother Marlon (Gold Aceron) was angry because she was cheating on Ariel, on whom he had a crush.

Things became difficult when Ariel came home prematurely. Rita knew that she had to end her affair with Royce, but she could not. Ariel had to come to terms with a newly-discovered sexual preference, but she could not. Marlon had to decide whether he should reveal to Ariel what he knew was brewing between the two people he loved, but he could not.  Royce found a way to earn the money he needed to settle his gambling debts, so he went for it. 

No less than National Artist Ricky Lee wrote this screenplay, so it was not surprising that there were so many complexities in this film's plot, certainly more than the typical Vivamax film. However, Mac Alejandre, who directed Lee's previous Vivamax projects, was only creative producer in this new one. The director was veteran teen film and TV drama series director Jerry Lopez Sineneng taking on his very first Vivamax feature film.

There were still a good number of typical Vivamax heterosexual coupling scenes -- Rita and Ariel, Royce and girlfriend Shirley (Amabella de Leon), Rita and Royce. This must be the first Vivamax film with frankly homosexual sex scenes between two men -- Ariel and Arab boss, Ariel and callboy (Mhack Morales), Ariel and Royce. The film's climax was a nude menage-a-trois which would, predictably, take a turn to violence, in true Vivamax formula.

In the title role, Christine Bermas gave it her all, especially in those crazy, never-before-seen bedroom acrobatics. Tougher acting challenges went to Victor Relosa (with all the gay scenes he had to do for the first time) and Gold Aceron (who had to portray a teenage closeted gay with subtlety). This was also the first Vivamax appearance of Josh Ivan Morales, best known as the predatory uncle in "Ang Lihim ni Antonio" (2008), still as depraved and beastly as ever. 5/10. 

Review of BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE: Remediation by Reggae

March 19, 2024

In 1976, reggae star Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) announced that he was going to perform at an event that aimed to promote peace and unity in Jamaica, which was then being wracked by violent conflicts between political factions. However, Marley and his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) also became victims of this violence. To minimize the risk to their lives, Marley decided to send Rita and his kids to the US, while he exiled himself to London. 

This biopic is directed by American filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green. "Bob Marley" is only his fourth feature film, and his third consecutive biopic after "Joe Bell" (2020) and his highest profile film to date, "King Richard" (2021). The latter was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and won its star Will Smith the Best Actor award in the most controversial circumstances. His first film "Monsters and Men" (2018) was also inspired by real events.

I confess that I knew nothing about Marley's personal story or the history of Jamaica, so I went into this film blind. It was interesting to see the turbulence of the political landscape in his native country of Jamaica in which these songs were born.  He and his wife had infidelity issues, which of course were not much of a surprise for music superstars like him. He passed away in 1981, a still young 36, and the cause of his death was unexpected.

I only knew of Bob Marley because of his iconic reggae hits sung in his passionate signature style, specifically "I Shot the Sheriff," "No Woman No Cry," and "Redemption Song". While I was happy I discovered more of his discography, it also felt like there were more scenes of these song performances than deeper dives into his life story. Anyhow, the radiant charisma of Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley certainly kept this film afloat. 6/10. 

Puregold: Review of UNDER A PIAYA MOON: Treasuring Tradition

March 18, 2024

While doing a television interview which talked about his family's legacy bakery Celine, Stephen Maravilla (Jeff Moses) and girlfriend Joy Decena (Pau Dimaranan) looked like the perfect couple. Joy even excitedly announced that they were going to introduce European pastries to Celine's classic menu of local delicacies.  However, when the couple was by themselves, Joy broke the news to Stephen that she wanted to break up with him.  

At that time, Stephen's grandmother Serafina Infante (Chart Motus) was in Bacolod after a bad quarrel with her husband Poldo (Joel Torre)  caused her to leave their house in La Carlota. She encouraged the distraught Stephen to join the upcoming Concurso de Calamay, the most prestigious native specialty baking competition in Negros Occidental. While Stephen wanted to modernize his creations, Lola Fina advised him to stick with traditional techniques.

Set in Bacolod and surrounding towns of Negros Occidental, this film was in the Hiligaynon language, with that delightfully distinctive lilting accent.  The story was set back in the 1980s, which necessitated appropriate period production design, costumes, hairstyles, without the high-tech gadgetry of today. The cinematography had such a quality that evoked nostalgia, as it made our mouths water with tasty close-ups of these sweet Negrense snacks, like bitso-bitso, pilit-turon, napoleones, and of course, the titular piaya.  

Jeff Moses had a smiling face and friendly demeanor that immediately made us like him as Stephen and root for him to win the Concurso. Senior actors Chart Motus and Joel Torre had fun with their roles as Fina and Poldo, as they bickered bitterly at first, then made up so treacly sweet later. Pau Dimaranan's Joy was such an annoying character from her very first scene up to her last, you could not wait for Stephen to snap out of her toxic spell. 

The script by Vicente Garcia Groyon hewed to old-fashioned linguistic styles to keep to the nostalgic theme of the film. It included a number of charming, kitchen-inspired sayings and mottos to keep to the culinary theme, ranging from sensible ("Kneaded dough continues to rise when left on the table.") to naughty ("The longer you knead it, the longer it needs to rest."). Aside from food, there were also side trips to other tidbits of Negrense culture, like betting at the cockpit or the story behind the song "Nitang." 

This is director Kurt Soberano's feature film debut, but I had seen and loved his short film recreating the shooting of Peque Gallaga's "Oro Plate Mata" entitled "Sa Balay ni Papang" (MY REVIEW) (2021). In "Piaya Moon," the clash between traditions vs. modernity was brought up multiple times, but . Different generations will answer this question differently, but me, I am a sucker for this type of sentimentality and positivity. 9/10.

Puregold: Review of BOYS AT THE BACK: Rambunctious Repeaters

March 17, 2024

The Boys at the Back (or BATB for short) was a group of notorious for being high school students at the Kinantong National High School. They were infamous for being in fourth year high school for four years now.  The muscle-bound leader was Mike (Michael Berces), and his knucklehead minions included Arnold (Bob Jbelli), Porkchop (Nyle Libranza), Jerome (Raynier Brizuela) and tomboyish Cayang (Merry Chris Rodriguez).

This semester, a new freshman kid Kevin (Noel Comia, Jr.) transferred into Kinantong from a private school La Naval. His first friend in his new school was Joyce (Nicole Omillo) with whom shared a love for Filipino pop music. One day, Kevin's iPod fell out of his pocket and was confiscated by his teacher, Mr.  Robert Dimasupil (Bani Baldiserri). Desperate, Kevin thought of asking BATB to steal the iPod back, in exchange for helping them graduate. 

This film was all be silliness and shenanigans on the surface, with scene after scene showing naughtiness, truancy, bullying, disrespect, and failing grades. All of these were dealt as a laughing matter, with a juvenile sense of humor which may come off more as annoying than funny. However midway, it would catch you completely off guard when it revealed that deep within, there lay very serious triggering topics of suicide and sexual abuse. 

Noel Comia Jr. is already a veteran in indie films even in his young age, and here he proved that he still had what it takes for the drama scenes, especially those with his mother (Dovee Park). Pretty and perky Nicole Omillo was a surprise winner of Best Supporting Actress even with her limited screen time. The five actors playing the BATB tended to play things just for laughs, not recovering even in the end when they were supposed to be more mature.

One of the more remarkable awards Boys won was Best Story and Screenplay award for director, writer and star Raynier Brizuela. However, I felt that this screenplay just presented a lot of open threads, but none of them really had closure at the very end. Those who were waiting for the villain to get his due comeuppance will wait in vain. There was no satisfying sense of justice at all the very end. We don't even see Kevin's iPod ever again. 5/10

    

Puregold: Review of PUSHCART TALES: Grounded at the Grocery

March 17, 2024

It was a very strong storm, and all the roads outside the grocery store were flooded such that no vehicles could pass. Store manager Jack (Nonie Buencamino) still had two employees in the store with him -- Sarah (Shamaine Buencamino) and Emily (Therese Malvar). There were still three customers trapped in with them -- aspiring filmmaker Ria (Elora Espano), bratty rich kid Ryan (Harvey Bautista) and elderly grouch Benjamin (Carlos Siguion-Reyna).

Their food and water supply was scarce from prior panic buying, and there was no electricity nor phone signal. Glass panes have been shattered and portions of the ceiling have caved in, which caused them to panic that this may be the last them of their lives.  They decided to play a game, passing items to one another in a circle. When each of them got a certain item in hand, this would trigger memories of major events in their respective lives.

When the first Puregold CinePanalo Awards were held last night, this film won several major awards -- Best Director for Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, Best Actress for Shamaine Buencamino, Best Actor for Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Best Ensemble, Best Sound Design, and Special Jury Prize. the acting was really the strongest suit of this film (all six main actors were nominated as leads), and Bernardo did well shepherding them through the story she was telling.

This certainly looked like a very complicated film to do on what was presumably a limited time and a shoestring budget. The technical requirements of its production design and sound design (most deserving of its win) were formidable to make us feel the storm howling outside and show the violent effects of the strong wind and rain on store's infrastructure. That opening scene of zombies rising up of the debris also looked very difficult to execute.  

On bookend scenes of undead beings and calamitous disaster, Bernardo stitched on six episodes of melodrama dealing with a variety of family issues about infidelity, separation, LGBT, sacrifice and disease. After this, she then surprised us some more with her last minute twists that tied all the loose threads up neatly. I thought her complex script was a winner. Even with zombies in there, it still managed to live up to the positivity Puregold was going for. 8/10

Vivamax: Mini-Reviews of KAPALIT, KALIKOT and MAPANUKSO

 March 16, 2024

KAPALIT

Directed by Carlos Alvares

Written by: Gelo Catamio, Maya Diaz

Nurse Audrey (Cess Garcia) was fired from her job, following naughty shenanigans she did with her ne'er-do-well boyfriend Richard (Chad Alviar). The recruiting agency she relied on to work in Australia also turned out bogus. She got accepted as a caregiver of Demi (Rica Gonzales) who suffering from an unknown disease. Audrey admired Demi's husband, Dr. Stan Monasterio (Matt Francisco), for his dedication to his wife, his kindness and good looks.

Cess Garcia is a pretty lead actress, and had potential for dramatic scenes. However, the way her Audrey was written was quite haphazard. She wanted Dr. Stan for herself, but she also wanted to stay loyal to Ms. Demi. The reveal was not really surprising, no one that perfect could be true. Like he did in "Haliparot," Matt Francisco could convincingly portray decent-looking men hiding demons within. Chad Alviar had that roguish bad boy look and presence that Vivamax boys should exude. 6/10. 

KALIKOT

Director: Artemio Abad

Writers: Roni Benaid, Nigel Santos

Arnel (Van Allen Ong) was a budding auto mechanic moonlighting at the repair shop of his uncle BJ (Raul Montesa). Despite having a girlfriend Jenna (Arah Alonzo), Arnel could not help but fantasize about the sexy new neighbor who just moved in across the street, Sal (Shiela Snow). Nothing prepared Arnel for a big surprise when his new professor for his major subject Engineering Economics walked into the classroom. 

The three main actors in this Vivamax short film (Ong, Alonzo and Snow) may be relatively new, but were actually quite natural in the acting department (that is, when they were not involved in sex scenes, which were practically happening one after the other).Van Allen Ong can give Gold Aceron a run for his money as Vivamax's go-to boyish loverboy-next-door. Arah Alonzo played Jenna with spunk. Shiela Snow was not really credible as an engineering professor, she could have tried harder to project intelligence on top of her sex appeal.  4/10. 

MAPANUKSO

Directed by Jose Abdel B. Langit

Written by Quinn Carrillo

In the private bar - nightclub of Madame E (Boobita) called The Den, rich female clientele were entertained by a group of male dancers. The current team were Carlo (Sean de Guzman), Primo (Marco Gomez), Jason (Calvin Reyes) and Benjie (Mon Mendoza). Aside from their dancing, they had their respective sugar mommies. One day, Carlo brought in Angelo (Itan Rosales), an 18-year old delivery boy who wanted a better way to earn tuition. 

This was just another one of those Vivamax films about people who prostitute their bodies to earn money for themselves and their families. This time, the boys were the dancers and the women -- Tanya (Ataska), Abbie (Thia Ledesma), Anne (Apple Castro), Bianca (Tiffany Grey) and her aunt Tonette (Panteen Palanca), Mica (Rica Gonzales) -- who were the sex-starved predators. There was nothing new with the cliched story, the lazy acting, and the predictable final turn into violence. 3/10. 

Vivamax: Mini-Reviews of SALISIHAN and EKS

March 1, 2024

SALISIHAN

Director: Iar Arondaing

Anna (Zsara Laxamana) and her husband Dan (Chester Grecia) had long been trying to conceive a child, but in vain. One day, a young woman named Sophie (Amabella de Leon) went to their house asking him her partner Gab (Ralph Christian Engle) was with them. It turned out that Gab was the son Dan never knew he had, and he had gone into hiding since he found out that Sophie was pregnant. 

Director Iar Arondaing, head writer John Carlo Pacala and writer Rijel Reyes spun a neat little tale here of infidelity and karma, and a wickedly twisted, darkly comic ending. Of the two new sirens, Laxamana did show more promise in terms of her looks and drama skills, while wan and homely de Leon paled in comparison. With his mature mien, Grecia got to play a role much older than his actual age of 26. Engle, who was supposed to be Grecia's son, actually looked just about the same age as him. 6/10. 

EKS

Story and Screenplay by ER Astrologo

EKSPRESIBO

Directed by Roman Perez, Jr. 

Ardo (Felix Roco) was an artist who made a living by selling his paintings on the roadsides. Sometimes he gets lucky with an art collector like Mrs. Nebres (Ayah Alfonso) passes by and brings him home for a private posing session. She would pay him not only for the paintings, but for his body as well. However, Ardo kept having visions of Lisa (Yen Durano), his love and his muse, who one day just upped and disappeared from their home. 

Being directed by Roman Perez Jr. (with DOP Neil Derrick Bion), this film carried his signature visuals bathed in warm yellow sunlight, the sun beamed through windows. They had nice shots of the Bonifacio Monument as well. The business of selling art was interesting, but could have been explored more seriously. Felix Roco is a good actor, but again that awful wig he wore was very distracting. Durano (who was launched in Perez's "Litsoneras") was also good, but her part was very short. 5/10

EKSPERTO

Directed by Omar Deroca

Lara (Yen Durano) was a very popular sexy vlogger who had millions of followers. Her constant escort was gym rat Dex (Albie Casino), but she kept on turning down his proposals to be her boyfriend. Lara was quite the playgirl with a fetish for recording herself in action, as she had casual sex with mature business partners like Marcus (Chester Grecia) and Benj (RR Lopez), or 20 year-old resort employees like Ches (Gabriel Fernandez).

The story of this one felt a bit off-tangent in this artsy trilogy, unless you consider sexy vlogs as an art form. Director Omar Deroca tells it pretty straightforward, just scenes Lara having sex with Dex and other men, held together by a simple story of how she used sex to further her "businesses." Casino's portrayal of weak and whiny Dex was so annoying, especially being the veteran in the cast. You totally see why Lara did not want to commit to him. 3/10

EKSPERIMENTAL

Directed by Sigrid Polon

Lilak (Yen Durano) was a very popular visual artist, whose specialty was to make paper mache figurines of a woman's open legs showcasing her wide-open pudendum. Her current workshop aide was Gabo (Itan Rosales), who assisted her in more ways than one. One day, a Japanese-Filipino news reporter Aiko (Audrey Avila) visited her shop in Laguna, and requested for an in-depth interview about her artwork.

Director Sigrid Polon captured the carefree bohemian spirit of artists in her latest work, and that was the most interesting aspect of this short film. I am not sure why her vulgar-looking paper-mache art was a big hit with the public, but I guess there is no arguing with popular taste when it comes to "art". Durano and Avila make a good match, but when it comes to Vivamax, their Sapphic pairing was hardly experimental anymore.  4/10

 

Puregold: Review of A LAB STORY: Quizbee Qualms

March 15, 2024

Pinky (Uzziel Delamide) was an Aeta teenager who had been chosen by the nuns to study at the Josephine Cojuangco Tech Voc high school. She was more obsessed with reading romance pocketbooks than her schoolwork. One day, their teacher Ma'am Kristine (Donna Cariaga) announced about the upcoming Agri-Quizbee. When the teacher said there was going to a "Lab" test, Pinky thought she said "Love" test and volunteered to join.

Her first meeting with her quizbee partner, an ambitious achiever Genesis (Potchi Angeles), was awkward, but they eventually got along. Knowing that this quiz could give him a scholarship he needed for college, he had committed to memory all the scientific names of tropical plants in the Philippines. A silent introvert, Genesis coped with stress by looking at slides of cells and microbes through the microscope. 

The way writer-director Carlo Obispo wrote and told this story of high school life and puppy love in a most childlike and entertaining manner. This was such a fun watch as it can bring back a lot of high school memories, especially the silly (playing FLAMES with crush's name) or cheesy (the first girl you gave flowers to) ones. For me, I joined quiz-bees before, so I can relate with the tension during review prep and competition proper.  (During the film, I was able to recognize Ulasimang Bato and still recalled its scientific name, haha!)

True blue Aeta teenager Uzziel Delamide radiated such a winsome personality onscreen. Her being an Aeta enabled Obispo to address not only their traditional medicinal herbs, but also serious problems Aetas have because of their elders' illiteracy. She and Potchi Angeles may be acting neophytes, but they carried the story very well, even generating romantic thrills when they would do something cute together.  To keep things interesting, Obispo introduced a pretty, brainy classmate Lovely (Barbara Miguel) midway to throw in a wrench. 

As Pinky's class adviser Ms. Kristine Mangrobang, Donna Cariaga was so lovable with her faulty choice of English words and her interchanging consonant sounds. (I know this may not look good for public school teachers, but it was cute and in the spirit of fun.) In fact, the louder hoots of romantic thrills were heard in scenes of Ms. Kristine with her good-looking co-teacher Mr. Kurt Dalang (Ely Cellan). One delightful scene between Cariaga and Cellan was ripped right out of a K-drama which sent the entire audience howling with glee. 

This is one of the six feature films included in the newly-launched Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, running at Gateway Cineplex from April 15-19, 2024. With the festival theme of "Mga Kuwentong Panalo ng Buhay," we are expecting films with positive messages. Festival director Chris Cahilig had said in a statement that "CinePanalo aims to leave audiences with a warm fuzzy feeling," and, true to his word, "A Lab Story" did exact that.  8/10

Review of 3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS IN POBLACION: Floundering Friendship

March 14, 2024

Gabbi (Jasmine Curtis-Smith) and Charlie (Barbie Imperial) were best friends and constant partners in school activities when they were in high school. They had not seen each other since Charlie left their hometown in province to study in Manila. Five years later, Gabbi was about to leave the country to work in Canada. She set up a reunion with Charlie to paint the town red in Poblacion, the red light district in Makati City. 

Circumstances made it possible for the two friends to spend three days and two nights roam, drink and party all around Poblacion. The two girls were having a great until they met Javi (JM de Guzman), on whom Gabbi had a crush on since their school days. It turned out that Charlie and Javi were keeping a secret between themselves which they were not about to reveal to Gabbi. But of course, no secret could be kept forever. 

Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Barbie Imperial did try their best. However, they not only felt miscast in their respective roles, they also did not look very good with unflattering make-up, outfits and cinematography. JM de Guzman looked too old to be their classmate and root of conflict, Javi. Kakai Bautista again stole scenes with her wild antics, as wacky Tita Cion. Drag queens led by Lady Morgana were in the cast, but were sorely underused. 

This film told a story about a dear friendship facing a grave threat to its continued existence. Despite the fact that the focus of the film was about a friendship between two young women, it was made by men -- written by Jules Katanyag and directed by RC delos Reyes. I am not sure that they got the dynamics of this relationship correctly. The way the story was written and told, there was no sincerity felt whatsoever between Gabbi and Charlie.

I guess they were of the thinking that to be "entertaining" to the Gen Z, everything had to be loud and obnoxious. It's probably meant to be immersive, but I am clearly not the demographic targeted by this film. As a parent of Gen Z kids, it was disturbing to see educated young ladies drinking so much alcohol and indulging in such scandalous activities when they are out with "friends" in Poblacion.  This film should be rated R-16 instead of R-13.  2/10. 

Review of THE COLOR PURPLE (2023): Emancipation from Exploitation

 March 7, 2024

As teenagers, homely Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and her prettier sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) were the best of friends. Celie was being sexually-abused repeatedly by their father Alfonso Harris (Deon Cole). She had already giving birth to two babies, who were both given away right after they were born. Alfonso then made Celie marry a ne'er-do-well who called himself Mister (Colman Domingo), who inflicted physical abuse on her. 

Eight years later, Mister's eldest son Harpo (Corey Hawkins) announced that he wanted to marry a tough woman named Sofia (Danielle Brooks). Celie (Fantasia Barrino) was fascinated by Sofia's strength of character and bold defiance of men, and they became close friends. Popular jazz singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson) came to perform in Harpo's saloon, and she also became close friends with Celie, despite being Mister's mistress.

"The Color Purple" was first a book written by Alice Walker in 1982. In 1985, it was adapted into an acclaimed film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery. In 2005, a Broadway musical version debuted, with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, and a book by Marsha Norman. This new film was based on the Broadway version of the story, with its songs.

Despite its success in the Tony Awards (11 nominations and 1 win for the 2005 original, and 4 nominations and 2 wins for the 2015 revival), there was no new song which were particularly memorable.  In the film, the song numbers felt incidentally inserted, like singing at church ("Mysterious Ways") or while building a house ("Workin'"). These song numbers tended to stall the flow of the storytelling, instead of helping it go forward. It's always welcome to hear Shug sing "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" again though.

Aside from their melodramatic moments, the main triumvirate all sang the heck out of their songs. Brooks had "Hell No!" Henson had "Push Da Button." Barrino had "I'm Here." Together, they had a colorful upbeat "Miss Celie's Pants," and an epiphanic finale "The Color Purple." Presented as a musical, the story felt sanitized despite the dark subject matter. Female empowerment was main message, but a lesbian subtext was also implied. 7/10

Review of A GLIMPSE OF FOREVER: Psychological Pressures

March 6, 2024

Because he had to take a three-month leave owing to a fractured arm, Charles (TJ Valderrama) requested his bosses at ForeVR -- Ligaya (Andrea del Rosario), Frida (Marion Aunor) and Trini (Marnie Lapus) -- to hire his sister's best friend Dante (Jerome Ponce) to cover for him at work. Despite his Social Anxiety Disorder, Dante proved to be very good at his job as a Mumu -- a motion-capture artist portraying the virtual men of ForeVR.

ForeVR offered their female clientele four different male stereotypes to tickle their fantasies -- the bad boy Zach (PJ Rosario), the fancy guy Misha (Keann Johnson), the workman Luis (Massimo Scofield), and the gigolo Kenji (Thor Gomez). One day, Glenda (Jasmin Curtis-Smith) walked into ForeVR asking one of their former choices which was now put on hold, the boy next door Kokoy (Diego Loyzaga). Dante was assigned to be the Mumu to voice him. 

A central aspect of this film was Dante's Social Anxiety Disorder, and the success of this film depended on the accuracy of how this disorder was portrayed. Dante Dimla had always been afraid that everyone was judging him, causing extreme anxiety. However, can simply wearing a surgical mask really help him to face others? How can he be so confident in portraying men of the world when he did not have any personal experience of these interactions with women? Is the effect of Propranolol shown onscreen for this anxiety disorder realistic?

Writer-director Jason Paul Laxamana had tackled a sci-fi theme before in "Instalado" (2017), about education via direct uploading of information in people's brains. This one does have a futuristic vibe to it given the high-tech gadgetry, but this one seems more doable, if not already existent in some form somewhere around the world. He showed here how people with serious mental health issues tend to use technology to cope with their perceived shortcomings.

Curtis-Smith's Glenda was frustrated because she was losing connection with the man she loved. The real person behind Loyzaga's Kokoy was so obsessed with showering his lady love with riches, he didn't realize he was pushing her away. Dante gave Jerome Ponce a showcase for his versatility, and he gave it his A-game without melodramatic excess. He had to shift roles among the five ForeVR avatars, as well as Dante's own demons given his debilitating psychiatric disorder, plus the massive guilt feelings weighing him further down. 6/10. 

Ranking This Year's OSCAR BEST PICTURE NOMINEES (2024) & MY OSCAR BETS

March 3, 2024

With the Oscar Awards coming on March 11, 2024, Monday morning (Manila time) live streaming on the Disney+ app, it is time for me now to make my fearless Oscar predictions.   

(My Oscar predictions of previous years were posted on these links: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013).

Here is how I would rank this year's 10 nominees for Oscar Best Picture based on my own personal opinions when I first saw them (not based on probability that I think they will win):

1. OPPENHEIMER (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Christopher Nolan

Nominations (13): Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Costume Design, Production Design, Original Score, Sound, Makeup & Hairstyling

Being a Christopher Nolan work, this was far from a typical biopic. So like other Nolan films, the audience needs to pay close attention because every little detail -- words, images, color, sounds -- mattered. It had multiple characters (scientists, communists, military men, lawyers, and politicians) in events which were not told in chronological order.  For those who do not know the history, there was even a twist that Nolan springs on the 11th hour. 10/10

2. PAST LIVES (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Celine Song

Nominations (2): Picture, Original Screenplay

There was that chemistry between lead actors Greta Lee and Teo Yoo which made you want to root for Na Young and Hae Sung's friendship to go up the next level. However, John Magaro played the unenviable role of the man who, through no fault of his own, stood in their way. Because of the elegantly understated mood Song built up, these actors only had their facial expressions and vocal inflections to reflect the nuances of their characters. 9/10

3. POOR THINGS (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Nominations (11): Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Costume Design, Production Design, Original Score, Makeup & Hairstyling

Because of its out-of-this-world topic and out-of-the-box execution, this film looked and felt too weird, likely not to fit everyone's taste or sense of humor. However, there would be no arguments for the merits of its technical aspects -- lively shifting cinematography by Robbie Ryan, 19th century steam-punk production design by Shona Heath and the Victorian haute couture by costume designer Holly Waddington. 8/10

4. ANATOMY OF A FALL (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Justine Triet

Nominations (5): Picture, Director, Actress, Original Screenplay, Film Editing

Justine Triet made sure that audiences would make feel Sandra's vexation (or anger) towards her husband at that point in time. The very loud playing of Bacao Rhythm and Steel Bars' cover of 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." was purposefully done to get on one's nerves. This raucous music also put the accuracy of Daniel's testimony in question, as, however sharp his hearing was, he may well have not accurately heard what his parents were talking about before he left.  8/10

5. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Martin Scorsese

Nominations (10): Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Film Editing, Costume Design, Production Design, Original Score, Original Song

Now at age 80, Martin Scorsese can really tell a complex multilayered story about true-to-life racial abuse. He led a formidable artistic team to achieve his epic vision --cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, musician Robbie Robertson -- all of whom are sure shots for Oscar nominations. It took 3-1/2 hours to tell because he wanted to immerse us in the rich Osage culture before laying out the reprehensible crimes committed against them. 8/10

6. THE HOLDOVERS (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Alexander Payne

Nominations (5): Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Film Editing

It is hard to believe that Paul Giamatti had only earned one Oscar nomination before, and no it was not for "Sideways," but a supporting nod for "Cinderella Man" (2006). His nomination (and possible win) now for "The Holdovers" is well deserved because only Giamatti could have played this wall-eyed, cantankerous grouch Paul Hunham, and make him actually lovable despite his obvious character flaws.  8/10

7. ZONE OF INTEREST (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Nominations (5): Picture, Director, International Film, Adapted Screenplay, Sound

This film had practically no plot. All we saw were mundane scenes of daily family life, all going on unmindful of the atrocities outside. Glazer only wanted us to see and feel the life of a Nazi officer and butcher at home. He was just like any other father who ate dinner with his family and told his kids bedtime stories. But then, we knew this was not a normal family. We knew where that mink coat and those gold teeth came from. The irony was not lost on us. 8/10

8. MAESTRO (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Bradley Cooper

Nominations (7): Picture, Actor, Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound, Makeup and Hairstyling

Bradley Cooper was not only lead star, but also director, producer (together with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg), and co-writer (with Josh Singer, Oscar-winning writer of "Spotlight"). In only his second feature film after "A Star is Born" (2019), Cooper displayed remarkable artistic growth in his directorial style. With cinematographer Matthew Libatique and editor Michelle Tesoro (Fil-Ams both!), his scene transitions were seamlessly poetic. 8/10

9. BARBIE (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Greta Gerwig

Nominations (8): Picture, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (2), Costume Design, Production Design

The screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach told a story which was likely furthest from the shallow childish plot most viewers were expecting. At the beginning, everything was all fun and games, but when Barbie suddenly became self-aware at that party, the story was just beginning to get much deeper than what the trailer would make you believe. The message of sexual politics was serious, but director Gerwig maintained the delightful absurdity and over-the-top foolishness both in Barbieland and the Real World. 7/10

10. AMERICAN FICTION (MY FULL REVIEW) 

Director: Cord Jefferson

Nominations (5):  Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score

Director Cord Jefferson's script was the clear star of this film, so sharp and so witty. He had adapted the 2001 novel entitled "Erasure" by Percival Ellis. This was an experimental work where Ellis embeds the whole offensive text of Monk's fictional book "My Pafology" (later retitled as "F**k") within his own novel. Jefferson followed the same distinctive style to fascinating effect as the film arrived at its conclusion in a number of alternative ways. 7/10

***** My bets to win for each of each categories:

BEST PICTURE: OPPENHEIMER

Nominees: American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Past Lives, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest

BEST DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Nominees: Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall), Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon), Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things), Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Nominees: Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Colman Domingo (Rustin), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Nominees: Annette Bening (Nyad), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Emma Stone (Poor Things)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) 

Nominees: Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction), Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Ryan Gosling (Barbie), Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

Nominees: Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer), Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple), America Ferrera (Barbie), Jodie Foster (Nyad)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Nominees: The Boy and the Heron, Elemental, Nimona, Robot Dreams

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM:  The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom

Nominees: The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany), Io Capitano (Italy), Perfect Days (Japan), Society of the Snow (Spain)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:  Past Lives

Nominees: Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Maestro, May December

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:  American Fiction

Nominees: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:  Killers of the Flower Moon

Nominees: American Fiction, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Oppenheimer, Poor Things

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie

Nominees: “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot, “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie, “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony, “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” Killers of the Flower Moon

BEST FILM EDITING: Oppenheimer

Nominees: Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Oppenheimer

Nominees: El Conde, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Poor Things

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Godzilla Minus One

Nominees: The Creator, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Napoleon

BEST SOUND: The Zone of Interest

Nominees: The Creator, Maestro, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Oppenheimer

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Poor Things

Nominees: Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, Oppenheimer

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Barbie

Nominees: Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: Maestro

Nominees: Golda, Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Society of the Snow

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM: 20 Days in Mariupol

Nominees: Bobi Wine: The People’s President, The Eternal Memory, Four Daughters, To Kill a Tiger

BEST ANIMATED SHORT: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

Nominees: Letter to a Pig, Ninety-Five Senses, Our Uniform, Pachyderme

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM: Red, White and Blue

Nominees: The After, Invincible, Knight of Fortune,  The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: The Last Repair Shop

Nominees: The ABCs of Book Banning, The Barber of Little Rock, Island In Between, Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

Review of KUNG FU PANDA 4: Serving Shenanigans and Sense

March 5, 2024

Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) told Po (Jack Black) that time had come for him to choose his successor as the new Dragon Warrior. It was time for Po to step into role vacated by the late Master Oogway, as the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Since he was still enjoying the celebrity status of being the Dragon Warrior, Po did not think he was ready to give that up yet. They began auditioning likely candidates, only for Po to reject them. 

One day, Po encountered a thief stealing ancient weapons at the Jade Palace. She was a fox named Zhen (Awkwafina), whom he defeated and brought to justice. She told him about a new threat -- a reptilian shapeshifting foe called "The Chameleon" (Viola Davis). This evil creature recently took on the form of Po's old foe Tai Lung (Ian McShane) to terrorize local miners. Zhen volunteered to go with Po to fight this powerful new enemy. 

The "Kung Fu Panda" franchise began in 2008 with the first film which introduced us to the clumsy panda Po, his goose adopted father Ping (James Hong) and the Furious Five kung-fu masters (who all did not join this newest adventure). Being a big box-office success, it was followed by two sequels, first in 2011, when Po fought his peacock nemesis Shen; and another one in 2016, when Po met his biological panda father Li Shan (Bryan Cranston). 

All the Po witticisms and shenanigans we have come to expect through the years are still here. Jack Black surely knew how to deliver the goods fans have loved throughout the years, and the rolicking laughter of kids and parents alike throughout the screening is proof of that. The veteran actors voicing the elder characters -- Dustin Hoffman, Bryan Cranston, and 95 year-old James Hong -- were all still in touch with their inner kids.

I did not immediately pick up Awkwafina's voice as Zhen, as it did not seem to have her signature rasp. Viola Davis's turn as the Chameleon dripped with sinister greed, as her character overcompensates for her lack of kungfu skills. Ke Huy Quan had a minor but funny turn as Han, the pangolin head of the thieves. Ian McShane's voice as the snow leopard Tai Lung was as chilling as ever, yet this time, also a touch of pathos. 

The comedy sequences were hilarious and kid-friendly, more of what the franchise has always been beloved for. Again the highlights were really those major action set pieces -- all executed with frenetic speed and neatness in the rendering. The highlight would be that spectacular parade of past baddies (aside from Tai Lung, there's white peacock Shen, among others) back from the Spirit Realm. As a final bonus, Jack Black's rendition of "Baby One More Time" at the end really rocked. 7/10